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Saturday, August 31, 2013

AN AUSTRALIA HOME THAT IS AN EXERCISE IN SOPHISTICATION

Sisters Sarah Neilsen and Alice Flynn run Penny Farthing Design House, an Australian design firm (with an online shop) where they design pieces and collaborate with artists to create art and furniture collections. Sarah has lived in this home with her husband Paul and rescue poodle Charlie for nearly three years. The home, with its abundance of natural light (enhanced by the new French doors!) and airy space is a peaceful respite from Sydney’s City Center, which is located merely miles away. Sarah has created a home that somehow feels both sophisticated and glamorous but also is warm and relaxed.

Image above: My bedroom wallpaper is by the very clever Catherine Martin (CM) and was sourced through Porters Paints. The thought was to create a dreamy space that was not too feminine. The roses are David Austin Roses with a bedside table that was once painted Tiffany blue, then a shell grey and now in is Dulux white on white. The light fixture is an Italian fixture by Deluce lighting.

Image above: The dining room has a David Bromley art piece that commands a certain presence within the room. The dinning table was an auction house find that cost $75. It has recently been painted and taken on a whole new look. The chairs are from Thonet Australia and surprisingly comfortable and sturdy.

Image above: My husband Paul and I both have had careers in negotiation and the floors were a 2-year negotiation as he really wanted to retain carpet for reasons of comfort and luxury. He has graciously embraced the floors as they create a feeling of more space and more light.

See more of Sarah’s Sydney home after the jump!

Image above: The kitchen has recently been redesigned and ‘squared up’. In its previous life the kitchen island had an oval shape that came out at an angle. The counter tops are by Quantum Quartz and Calacatta quartz with panelled cupboards in a Zeus Lunar grey matt at 50%. The backsplash is a mirror that has been made to look vintage and my favourite detail are the glass knobs which look like the top of the Chanel perfume bottle and are sourced from Mother of Pearl and Sons.

Image above: This is the view from the kitchen looking out to the new steel doors that have been painted in an almost black are lead into the dinning room.

Image above: Our bedroom has a beautiful 100% creamy white wool carpet that is seriously divine but hopelessly impractical, (who would have guessed). The paint colour is Cloudy Bay at 75% by Porters paints and changes color as the day and season changes.

Image above: This collection of beautiful things are all sitting on a handmade shell table from Oly San Fransisco purchased from Coco Republic in Sydney.

Image above: The oyster lounge from Coco Republic is 4 years old and is extremely comfortable. It is a great place to curl up for an afternoon with a good book or movie. The African Juju hat is from Les Interieurs and the black drum is from Lu Mu in Balmain.

Image above: Zigggy and Bea is a beautiful art piece from our business Penny Farthing Design House. The high top table is also from Oly San Fransisco with gold legs. When it was being delivered the truck got stuck coming down one of the narrowest streets in Balmain and had to be taken past all the neighbours all anxiously waiting to get to work. There were a lot of “wow’s” as they carried it down the street.

Image above: The photo’s are by Australia’s most famous photographer, Max Dupain. They are from the ’50s and the image of the boy is in a series called Bankstown Boys don’t Cry. These prints are from his personal collection and are one off’s also sold through Penny Farthing Design House. The chair was another auction find that has been partly covered in cow hide and slightly personalized by my lovely little niece Daisy. (I know it is her because she has started to write her name – dead give away).